Several incidents of violence, including a few where Central forces had to open fire, were reported during the sixth and penultimate phase of election in West Bengal on Sunday.
Despite the violence, about 79.9% polling was recorded on an average across eight Lok Sabha seats — Tamluk, Kanthi, Ghatal, Jhargram (ST), Midnapore, Purulia, Bankura and Bishnupur (SC) — till 5 p.m.
Considering that some of the constituencies going to poll had a history of ultra-Left violence, the Election Commission had deployed 770 companies of Central forces in the region in more than 15,000 booths. The challenge, however, was not posed by the ultras but by supporters of mainstream political parties, with higher incidents of violence reported on Sunday than in the preceding five phases.
The Epicentre
Keshpur under the Ghatal Lok Sabha constituency was the epicentre of violence where BJP candidate Bharati Ghosh remained at the centre of controversy throughout the day. Ms. Ghosh, formerly a police officer close to Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee, who is contesting against Dipak Adhikari of the Trinamool, was heckled by Trinamool supporters on several occasions. While in the morning, a group of women prevented her from going inside a polling booth, in the afternoon, Ms. Ghosh’s vehicle was attacked and she had to take shelter inside a temple near the Keshpur Police Station in the Medinipur constituency, after hundreds of locals protested against her presence and started throwing stones.
The Trinamool leadership alleged that one of the Central forces personnel deployed for Ms. Ghosh’s security opened fire and a Trinamool supporter sustained bullet injuries. The BJP leadership denied the allegation.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who was campaigning in the State’s South 24 Paraganas district, alleged that on the pretext of deploying Central forces in West Bengal, the BJP was forcefully pushing BJP and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) activists here. “I doubt that some RSS activists are wearing the uniform of Central forces,” she said, referring to the incidents of Central forces opening fire.
‘Created trouble’
“Since the morning, the Central forces have created a lot of trouble, beating up and coercing voters. Law and order is a State subject but they have tried to take control of it,” Ms. Banerjee said.
“They must definitely do what they are supposed to according to the EC’s stipulations, but law and order is not their area. They have illegally beaten up men and women. Even journalists were not spared. The Narendra Modi government is thinking that they can control the voters with these Central forces,” she said.
An FIR was also registered against Ms. Ghosh for video recording proceedings inside a polling booth, and her vehicle was impounded for not having required papers.
Scuffles, face-offs
There were also a few incidents of violence in the Medinipur constituency, including one at Belda, where four Trinamool supporters sustained injuries. BJP candidate Dilip Ghosh was stopped at various places, allegedly by Trinamool supporters. At many places, BJP and Trinamool supporters came face-to-face with each other. At a polling booth in Bishnupur, Central forces opened fire when a scuffle broke out in the polling queue. At certain places, personnel of Central forces resorted to baton charge to disperse the crowd outside polling premises that had gathered in large numbers.
A delegation of BJP leaders, including Union Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, met officials at the office of the CEO and alleged “booth capturing and rigging” across certain booths that went to polls.
The office of the Chief Electoral Officer, however, maintained that polling was peaceful. “Despite sporadic incidents of violence, the overall polling was peaceful,” an official said.
